


The Tale of The Missing Moon

by Moonlit_Blossom



Series: Backed Into A Cage [1]
Category: NCT (Band), Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Character Study, Detectives, Kidnapping, M/M, Mafia NCT, Mystery, Obsessive Behavior, Organized Crime, Past Relationship(s), Psychological Drama, Stray Kids comes in a little later, There are sensitive topics but I don't intend to write explicitly, Thriller
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-11
Updated: 2020-04-28
Packaged: 2020-05-01 15:34:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 15,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19180597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonlit_Blossom/pseuds/Moonlit_Blossom
Summary: Moon Taeil, a dedicated vocal teacher, goes missing on June 5, 2019.In addition to a string of missing person cases, Seo Johnny, a skilled detective, takes on the challenge of finding the culprit. Where it leads him is far darker than he could have imagined...On the day Moon Taeil went missing, Dong Sicheng, the most powerful mafia boss in Seoul, made his greatest achievement.





	1. The Quiet Before The Storm

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my first work here! TBH, I'm figuring the story out as I go so I apologize for being a mess. Regarding the warnings, I just wanted to mention that this story will have sensitive topics but I won't write anything explicit. But if you're uncomfortable with it, I recommend refraining from that content. I'll put warnings before each chapter that has such.

Seo Johnny knew he was in for a strange day when he saw a tanned boy, looking barely 20, arguing with one of his co-workers.

"My friend, Moon Taeil, has been missing since yesterday! It's been more than 24 hours! Geez, he might be dead and all because I had to wait that long. He didn't go to class, which is something he never does. He didn't respond to anyone's calls or texts and when I went to his apartment, he wasn't there! I checked every possible place he could of been too! Please find him, he might have gotten hurt!"

Another boy was restraining him, his face full of concern, "Donghyuk, please calm down!"

"Aren't you concerned Mark?! Hyung might be dead!!" Donghyuk turned his head to glare at Mark.

Mark flinched, "I feel the same way too but please stop trying to fight the officer!"

Johnny couldn't help but feel uneasy. It was the third person in the past two weeks. Tenth in the past month. He had never dealt with this many cases in such a short amount of time. It was an impressive feat considering he had been a detective-who specialized in missing person cases-for about five years already. People were getting terrified over it. Why this was happening, he wasn't too sure. There was a lot of crime in the city but these missing person cases were becoming unsettling.

"Ah, Johnny." His co-worker, Junmyeon, called out, his facial expression stressed from Donghyuk trying to strangle him.

"What's up?"

"You're the one in charge of these sort of cases...Please deal with this one." His eyes were begging.

Johnny sighed and nodded, leading Mark and a now calm Donghyuk to his area of the police station. Once he had them seated, he leaned on his desk.

"I heard about what happened to your friend." The detective stared at the two boys intensely.

"Tell me more."

Donghyuk's back straightened, his eyes burning with passion, "He's a really good guy. I really can't think of any reason why someone would want to take him, so don't assume that he's in some shady business."

Though Mark was quiet, his expression showed that he obviously agreed.

"I wasn't going to assume that..." Johnny's eyes glanced to the side, "Yet."

The tanned boy frowned, "That's not funny detective." His voice was laced with slight annoyance.

"My bad." Johnny halfheartedly laughed, "I was just trying to lighten up the mood."

Mark decided to speak out, "Detective, I don't think we have a lot of time. If Taeil hyung is still alive..."

"I know. Don't worry yourselves, I'll get to the bottom of this right away. I just need all the information you know."

Donghyuk's fiery attitude slowly died down, leaving a look of fear and worry, "Please find him soon. Hyung doesn't deserve any of this."

Johnny's heart ached at the sight of the vulnerable boys in front of him. He definitely had to find Taeil. In fact, he had to find all the missing people. It was his duty. It was a promise he made in his heart.

And Seo Johnny didn't like breaking promises.

 

********** 

 

Dong Sicheng was a man that was never meant to be messed with.

The amount of power he had in his hand was enough to drive everyone into submission. Everything he ordered was followed. Every demand he had was met.

Everything he wanted was given to him on a diamond platter.

"No offense," Qian Kun, an old friend of his began, "I don't know how you intimidate people when you're known as WinWin."

Despite the comment being slightly insulting, Kun's tone was quiet, knowing what the man in front of him was capable of.

Sicheng was a man of power. He was also a man of hard work. Though his title as mafia boss was given to him when his father died in a reckless negotiation, he had to destroy an empire in both China and Korea before attaining his current state of success. The silk curtains and shiny wooden floor in the very office he stood in came from the blood of his enemies.

"It makes them underestimate me." Sicheng smiled playfully, his hands brushing the wide mahogany table, "Which makes it more satisfying when they fall."

Kun held in a sigh of relief. He was lucky enough that Sicheng was in a rather good mood. Though what would put him in such a good mood, he wasn't sure.

"Anyway, you seem to be happier than usual. Did something happen?"

There was always an aura of danger around Sicheng, even when he was just a child. The way his styled blonde hair and expensive suit radiated power always made even the strongest of men tremble. The way his fragile looks softened and seduced hearts while his skill in weaponry and martial arts killed them made him nearly perfect.

It was an amazing yet terrifying sight.

"I got something really valuable yesterday." His smile became childish and oddly genuine-a rare sight.

His demeanor was unpredictable. There were way too many ways he could go with that statement.

Kun was too afraid to ask for clarification.

Sicheng dreamily sighed before turning to face the window behind him. In Kun's opinion. The moment looked like some typical movie of sorts. The way everyone perceived Sicheng as WinWin was always dark. 

The embodiment of darkness they say.

Kun couldn't help but somewhat agree with those opinions. What WinWin wanted was simple, though to say that mafia bosses in general didn't want absolute control was preposterous. Sicheng was the same for the most part, finding the satisfaction of living in it, but of course, just like any other human being, he was more complex.

"I finally have him." He announced, more to himself than to Kun.

To Kun, that's what made Dong Sicheng more terrifying.


	2. The Night's Calling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Johnny finds more leads...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had posted chapters 1 and 2 already so at least there's that lol. Anyway, enjoy chapter 2 :).

Johnny settled into his car as another wave of unease overcame him.

Out of twenty people he questioned, only one person could tell him something valuable.

The black-haired detective had decided to visit the university Taeil taught at in the morning. He talked to his whole class and some coworkers. Doyoung, a professor in business administration, had mentioned that Taeil would often sing at a cafe owned by his friend. The dread that appeared on everyone's face when Johnny had told them that Taeil had gone missing-possibly kidnapped-only showed how probably well-loved the man had been.

The pressure on Johnny's shoulders only increased.

As he started up the car and began to drive to that cafe, the reasons that could have led up to Taeil's disappearance came to mind. It wasn't many, based on all the good things he heard from everyone.

Moon Taeil did wrong to no one.

Maybe he was too good.

Envy was always a reason. A common one at that. Maybe he was too perfect in someone's eyes. Or maybe, he was really good at keeping secrets. Whatever reason it was, Johnny was going to find out. He had to.

He needed to.

The cafe came into his line of sight, the sign lights off due to it being noon. Timeless was an interesting name to give to a cafe. It felt fitting with its earthly colors and isolated placing on the street.

_I definitely need to ask about the meaning behind the name._

With that thought, Johnny parked his car in front of the building and got out. Autumn was a really nice season, though in his opinion, not as great as Summer. He laughed at the immature thought as he stepped in. Everything about the place was comforting. It was exactly how one would imagine a typical cafe-there weren't even many people in at the moment, giving it a quiet atmosphere.

"Welcome." A slightly deep yet gentle voice greeted.

Johnny was faced with a man slightly shorter than him. He had faded pink hair and a dimple smile that was welcoming. Johnny wished he had come there to eat rather than to interrogate.

"Hi, I wanted to talk to the owner of this place?" Johnny asked, feeling awkward with the small amount of people being able to listen.

Despite being a detective for so long, stuff like this always made him feel uncomfortable.

"That's me." The man's smile widened, "I'm Jaehyun. What do you need?"

Jaehyun's hand reached out for a handshake which Johnny gratefully returned.

"I'm Johnny." The young man still felt oddly nervous, "Actually, can we talk privately? I mean, if you don't mind."

Catching onto the heavy tone of Johnny's voice, Jaehyun nodded, "That's cool. My shift was just ending anyway. The next guy should be done getting ready by now."

Another young man came from the door behind Jaehyun, as if on cue, "I'm ready now."

Jaehyun turned around, "Thanks for actually being early for once Jeno."

Jeno stuck his tongue out at him in response.

"Anyway, please wait for a bit." Jaehyun walked into the room.

Johnny simply nodded, not really prepared for the awkward silence.

"Wanna order something while you're here?" Jeno politely smiled.

_This boy has to be an angel!_

The detective decided to get a coffee and by the time Jaehyun came out, he was already halfway finished with the cup.

"We can talk anywhere you'd like."

"Would my car be okay? This shouldn't take too long."

Jaehyun agreed, following Johnny.

Johnny couldn't help but think that Jaehyun was so easy to talk to it felt almost suspicious. But then again, he had been nothing but awkward and harmless. Jaehyun must have found him safe. Once they got into Johnny's car, all the questions that piled up in his head wanted to burst out.

"I'm a detective working on a missing person case." He announced as he took out a notepad to take notes.

Jaehyun, who had been looking around and taking in the surroundings, turned his head to face Johnny. His face became concerned.

"Who?"

"Moon Taeil."

A moment of stillness filled the car, Jaehyun's expression morphing from concern to fear.

"Taeil-hyung?" His voice came out quietly.

"Yeah." Johnny took a moment to glance in another direction before looking back at the pink haired man, "Mr. Moon was reported missing yesterday but it seems that according to a friend of his, he's been gone since June 5. Were you in contact with him that day?"

Jaehyun took in a deep breath, seemingly processing the situation before responding, "No."

"Does he perform at your cafe everyday?" Johnny felt his usual resolve fill him.

"Hyung does it every other day so it's not weird that he didn't come on the fifth. He performed at my cafe the day before that."

Johnny took a moment to write down Jaehyun's response before moving on, "You wouldn't happen to know anyone who might have a reason to take Taeil?"

"Did someone kidnap him?" Jaehyun's eyebrows furrowed.

"Maybe." The response almost came out a little too unsure.

Though he felt hesitant, Jaehyun had a notion, "I believe Ten and Taeyong might know something..."

_Ten and Taeyong? THE Ten and Taeyong?_

Ten (Whose real name was too long and hard to pronounce) and Taeyong were the co-CEOs of Neo Culture Technology, the biggest tech company in Asia, if not the world at this point.

Why would Jaehyun suspect those two?

"What makes you say that?"

"Taeil-hyung is friends with those two. I don't like to make assumptions about people but those are the only people I'd assume to know anything about this."

Johnny wrote the two names down and continued to ask questions.

But that important piece of information is what stuck out the most.

It was the path Johnny was going to walk on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry that this chapter is quite weak. I hope I improve aaah. Anyway, thank you!!! Have a nice day!


	3. One Step Forward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The road only gets darker...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I wrote the first two chapters days back, I decided to write chapter 3. I had a lot in mind that I didn't want to forget so this happened.

"The meeting was successful."

Sicheng finally decided to look at his brown haired friend, "Is that so?"

"Yes. There should be a shipment of the latest models arriving in the next few weeks."

Kun was always conservative-his gentle demeanor barely changing even with the dangerous business he was involved in. The mafia boss always appreciated Kun's seemingly unending patience.

"That's great." Sicheng clicked the pen resting in his hand, "Anything else?"

"Not at the moment."

Kun couldn't help but wonder what Sicheng had in store for him today.

"Kun-ge, I want to talk about something with you."

Following the young man's order, he sat down, "About what?"

"Stray Kids."

There had been a new group that took Seoul by surprise. Stray Kids was a strange group-supposedly an exclusive bunch of young yet truly capable men who managed to make a name out of themselves. They didn't care about the natural order that had been established.

So of course Sicheng wanted to do something about it.

"What about them?" Kun stiffened.

"I want them to be part of my group."

The room became the slightest bit colder with that remark.

That wasn't like Sicheng. 

"Why?"

"Well," Sicheng looked directly into Kun's eyes, "they have a lot of potential. Unlike other small groups, they managed to build up a stable system with many strong connections that go beyond Korea and China. Simply, if we get them on our side, we benefit from it."

As he was a man of few words, many weren't used to hearing his voice for long periods of time. Even for Kun, who had known him since they were younger, it felt a little strange.

"But what if they don't want to? I'm pretty sure they won't comply if you just ask."

"They will. What they want is quite childish."

"And how do you know?" 

There was an uncomfortable weight in the room. Kun was never sure with the man before him. It all truly felt like a movie.

Sicheng only smiled in response.

**********

Johnny admired the architecture of the building.

Neo Culture Technology truly lived up to its reputation.

"I'm surprised that you let me talk to you so easily." He commented, his eyes finally resting upon the person behind the desk.

"It looked like it was important. Also, I'm bored." The man laughed.

Ten was really something else.

Johnny came to Neo Culture Technology expecting to be rejected quickly but just as he was talking to the receptionist, Ten had walked into the building. The man was way shorter than Johnny but he radiated an intimidating presence which made the detective almost think twice on approaching him. However, Ten didn't even think about it before allowing him to follow him to his office.

"That's not professional." Johnny chastised, smiling cheekily.

Ten returned the smile, "But I'm still earning more than most people so I don't see the problem."

"Ouch," Johnny laughed, "You didn't have to attack me like that!"

"Anyway, Why do you want to question me?" Ten leaned back into his chair while running a hand through his hair, his mood becoming a little more serious.

Johnny glanced down at his notes, "Moon Taeil went missing three days ago and you might know something about it."

"Taeil-hyung?" A look of worry came upon his face before disappearing quickly, "Are you saying that I'm a suspect?"

"Not yet." Johnny eyed him, "I just want to know if you might know anything about it."

"No, I don't." An unidentifiable emotion appeared in Ten's eyes, "But I'll let you know if I do."

"No suspicions? No possible reasons you can think of?"

"Taeil-hyung is such a decent guy that the only reason I can think of is that he's too good. I can pretty much give you dirt on anyone but him."

Johnny sighed, the similar answers finally getting to him, "Everyone I've asked has basically said that. At this point, I'm going to conclude that Moon Taeil is a saint and that he was just unfortunate enough to be at the wrong place at the wrong time."

"There's been a lot of kidnappings lately huh?" 

"You don't have to tell me that twice." Johnny groaned into his hands, "Moon Taeil is a really weird case though."

"What do you mean?" Ten raised an eyebrow.

Johnny looked at him suspiciously, "I don't think I should be telling you."

"Hey!" Ten crossed his arms, "I'm not gonna tell anyone! I'm just as concerned about hyung as you are!"

Johnny felt so frustrated at this point, he just wanted to rant. All the possible routes took him back to where he started. Taeil was a good guy. There was no arguing at this point. Maybe Johnny wanted to find something about him. Maybe having Taeil be guilty of something wouldn't make the cases of missing people into something he hoped it wasn't. Telling Ten could be a big mistake. But maybe not. He seemed earnest. He seemed like an honest guy. But at the same time, he seemed like he would constantly lie.

Saying something to Ten could be bad.

But what if it wasn't?

"Well…"

Johnny was willing to take that chance.

"All the other victims have been associated with crimes, or at least pretty bad things. It's easier to narrow the reasons and suspects. I'm ninety percent sure that all these kidnappings are being orchestrated by one person or organization."

Ten took a moment to think, "Isn't there a high chance that they're all dead?"

Johnny nodded, "Definitely. But no corpses have been found yet so I really can't drop it. Even a criminal has someone to care for them."

"That's idealistic." There was a slight teasing tone in his voice.

"Thanks. I try." Johnny grinned.

"Going back on topic," Ten continued, "are you saying that the pattern was that all the victims were all involved in questionable acts?"

"Yes."

"So that means, hyung's case ruins that pattern and might mean something else?"

"Bingo."

The Thai man stayed silent for a moment, a thought coming to mind.

"Ah," Johnny's voice broke through the nearly tranquil setting, "I think I should get going."

Ten watched as the man stood up, "Sorry to disappoint."

The detective paused before smiling, "Actually, you helped me out a lot. Thanks for that."

Taken by pleasant surprise, Ten smiled back, "Glad to be of assistance. I'll contact you if I find something out."

"Oh yeah." Johnny pulled out a card from his wallet and handed it to Ten, "You're going to need this."

"Thanks." As Johnny approached the door Ten decided to tease him a little bit, "Maybe I'll invite you to dinner sometime."

The obvious flirty tone in Ten's voice made Johnny blush slightly. Good thing he wasn't facing him anymore. Seo Johnny couldn't let it end like that.

"That'd be nice. I'd like to spend more time with you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was thinking of putting the Stray Kids tag in but I think I'll do it when they get more involved I guess. Anyway, thank you for reading!


	4. Blind Shots

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shooting blindly always has risks...

Kim Jungwoo stepped into Johnny's office with four drinks in hand.

"Good morning Johnny!" He beamed, setting the drink carrier on the desk

A slightly disheveled Johnny was standing on the other side of the room starting at papers on a foldable table. The voice of his close colleague along with the strong yet familiar scent of coffee brought him out of the trance he had fallen into.

"Morning Jungwoo…" Johnny tiredly greeted, approaching the desk to get a cup.

"Are you sure you left yesterday?" Jungwoo followed his actions, then taking a sip of his hot chocolate.

"I did! My clothes are different!" Johnny motioned to his dark blue jacket and black jeans.

Jungwoo took a moment to study Johnny's outfit before nodding in satisfaction, "Then why do you look so messy already?"

Johnny took a moment to drink his coffee before answering, "I'm at a slight loss. All the information is a little too broad for my liking. This case could go so many ways."

Jungwoo nodded, understanding his friend's frustration.

"Anyway, did you find anything in Taeil's background that might be important?" At this point Johnny was seemingly on edge, anxious about the answer he'd be given.

"Not really. His records are clean. I talked to his high school friends, I talked to his neighbors, I talked to everyone I could find but there was nothing. He also did a lot of volunteering and performed for children and the elderly."

Johnny let out a sigh of irritation, "He's a literal angel! He's a pure cinnamon roll!"

He finished he first cup and grabbed another. Jungwoo felt bad for Johnny, understanding how the same general statements become as good as trash at some point.

"Hey, I have something." He opened his bag, taking out some papers.

"What?" Johnny's eyes narrowed suspiciously as Jungwoo had what looked like fifteen sheets of paper in his hand.

"I finally managed to organize the locations the victims were at before and when they were taken. I went back three days for all of them."

"Really?" Johnny's eyes were wide, "You managed to do all this?"

"Yep. I tried to get as many details as I could but not all of them are descriptive. Sorry about that…" The man smiled sheepishly.

"No. I love you and I'm glad you did this. It's really hard to do these sorts of things with the current system." Johnny ranted bitterly, looking through the papers.

Jungwoo nodded in silent agreement. He couldn't help but admire Johnny's drive. It's tiring to fight against crime on all sides, especially when it's committed by those with authority.

The information on the paper held many dates and locations. Johnny decided to work backwards. If his theory was correct…

"The last place Mr. Moon was seen was at the convenience store at around 1:00 PM." Johnny traced his finger along the paper, "He was done teaching that morning and wouldn't have another class until 3:30 PM."

Jungwoo, who had pretty much memorized the information at that point continued, "The day before that, he was at Timeless from 7-8 PM since he performs there as you have told me."

The detective decided to move onto the person before Taeil, pretty much knowing the information on the current victim. The previous person was a man named Oh Sungwoo, who went missing on May 30. The last place he was known to be at was at the bank.

"Johnny," Jungwoo's tone had become dead serious, "I found this out last night."

He pointed at one of the man's locations three days prior to the kidnapping.

Timeless.

_He was at Timeless._

All the investigations that had been piled onto them had prevented the two from being able to focus on each victim for too long. Johnny and Jungwoo were pretty much the only people who were capable and willing to look into those cases. There was obviously a problem with the justice system in Seoul but they had decided to push that problem aside as there were pressing matters.

_But how did I not figure this out sooner?_

Sungwoo went to Timeless on the same day and even around the same time Taeil would be there. That had to mean something. That definitely meant something.

"And it appears to be the same for Min Junho." Jungwoo added, "He was there on May 23 and disappeared on May 26."

Johnny released a breath he had been holding, "Does this apply to the others?"

"No. Though at least they didn't go there within the three days before they went missing."

The six foot man went behind his desk to sit down, "I have no doubt that Taeil was the goal of the kidnapper." He let out a quiet laugh, "They must be dumb or confident in not getting caught…"

"Based on the circumstances of all the cases, I feel that the perpetrator doesn't feel threatened by the law."

Another strained laugh escaped Johnny, "At this point, who is?"

"This is different." Jungwoo looked uncomfortable, "I don't know how to really prove it but I think this person is probably in a position where they don't feel threatened by anyone."

Johnny set down his coffee cup, "But why would they want to kidnap someone like Mr. Moon? As far as we know, it's not like he comes from a rich family or has anything that anyone wants."

His partner stared at the papers in Johnny's hand intensely, "What if they didn't want something from him?"

"Are you saying he's being used as a hostage?"

Jungwoo shook his head, "I don't think that's likely. I feel like taking all the others would be pointless in that case. Unless they're trying to throw us in a loop, which I doubt, then there's only one reason that makes sense to me."

"Which is…?" Johnny felt that he knew what he was going to say.

"It's a simple reason."

Jungwoo looked into Johnny's eyes with an unfamiliar look of pure, burning resolve.

"They want Moon Taeil himself."

**********

"You haven't told me where you're going." Kim Woojin leaned against the door frame as he watched his friend put on a suit jacket.

Bang Chan gave an apologetic look to him, "Sorry Woojin…I'd rather not say."

"I'm not taking no for an answer."

Despite being the leader of Stray Kids, Chan could never debate with Woojin over things like this, as he was dangerous as he was gentle. They had met before he formed the group, being by each other's sides for years at this point. The other members called them the parents of Stray Kids.

"Uh…" Chan chuckled, "I'm going to have a meeting with WinWin alone."

Woojin's expression morphed into a look of worry, "WinWin? You're meeting up with the devil himself!"

"He called me a few days ago. He wanted to meet up with me for God only knows what. Who am I to say no?"

"But Chan-"

"When will I ever get to meet the Emperor of the Underground face-to-face if I rejected him?" There was a slightly wild grin on his face, "This could be our only chance!"

"You can get killed Chan. Stray Kids won't last if you're taken out." Woojin felt overcome with apprehensiveness.

"I'm riding on the chance that I won't. He said that I have to go there alone and that he'd come alone too. The people who do see WinWin in the flesh call him a twisted man of honor. I have to believe that he'll keep his word."

It had been awhile since Chan's nervousness bled onto his face. In truth, he didn't want to meet WinWin so soon.

Not while that monster was still at his peak.

"And what if he isn't?" Woojin was beginning to plead, "What if you go there and he's there with a bunch of his men? What if he's out to get you?"

The young boss remained silent but unchanging.

"Why would the leader of the biggest mafia in Asia want to talk to us?"

Chan smiled softly, "Who knows? Either way can lead to a bad ending."

Woojin deflated at the tone his leader had, "Chan…"

"At least the choice I'm making gives me hope for our future."

**********

5:36 PM

Moon Taeil sat in a chair with a book in hand. Despite his intent to read it, his focus was elsewhere. There was time-about four hours.

Taeil had time.

There wasn't much he could do in the room. There were books and crocheting materials he could occupy himself with but other than that there was nothing. It wasn't like he could leave, the door was locked while the windows were bolted shut. When it came to meals, a woman, which he supposed was a maid of sorts, would walk in and leave his meal in there without a word.

It was a nice room, being made out of authentic, expensive material. The curtains and the bed sheets were blue silk, outlined in gold. The tables were made out of the finest of woods and the paintings on the walls were grand and probably cost more than his yearly income.

There was about four hours. He had to think carefully. What to do, what to say, how to act. Despite the past few days being 'peaceful', there was always a big question hanging in the atmosphere.

_Why am I here?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This would have came out sooner but I had forgotten how to write in English lol. Anyways, thanks for reading and I hope you have a nice day ^~^!


	5. Nightmare Fuel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chan meets WinWin...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn’t intending to wait this long to post but my brain forgot how to write again! Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

Chan didn’t think that someone so fragile looking would be the monster leading one of the most hideous empires on the face of the Earth.

 

Walking into the empty restaurant, Chan wasn’t sure of what to expect but then he saw WinWin, sitting at a table next to the large windows, the setting sun shining on his sharp features.

 

_ He’s beautiful. _

 

Chan couldn’t help the thought as he stared. WinWin’s blonde hair and black suit complimented each other really well. Seoul was his backdrop-it felt unfair that someone like him was that stunning.

 

“You’re finally here.” A deep voice filled his ears.

 

He had been talking in a rather quiet tone but due to the lack of people and noise, it was clear. WinWin looked at Chan, studying him carefully before giving a small smile.

 

“Take a seat.”

 

Despite the gentle voice, he was obviously giving an order.

 

And Chan complied.

 

As he took a seat, WinWin let out a soft laugh, “What? Were you expecting me to have horns?”

 

His tone was light yet menacing.

 

_ How do I answer him? _

 

Chan decided to let out a short laugh, regaining his composure. He couldn’t believe that just being around him was nerve wracking.

 

“Why did you want to meet me?” Chan managed to look the man in the eye.

 

“I want Stray Kids to be a part of WayV.”

 

The younger boss noted how direct he was, deciding to not dance around the question. Chan was rather thankful for that.

 

“Why?”

 

“You’re a good group. You have strong connections in other countries.”

 

It made sense that he wanted that. Stray Kids had a stable hold in Australia, Malaysia, and even some parts of the United States. It was impressive that they managed to do that much despite their small numbers.

 

“I should’ve seen that coming.” Chan leaned back in his chair, looking out the window.

 

It felt so typical that WinWin, a powerful mafia boss, managed  to rent a whole fancy restaurant just for their conversation as a means to demonstrate his power. And it was also so typical to ask for their loyalty for land gain.

 

“What does my group get out of it?”  

 

Chan knew what benefits they could get-it was obvious. But he wanted to see how WinWin would try to appeal to him. 

 

Would he be any different?

 

“There’s the obvious stuff: money, protection, man-power, and better weapons.” He began.

 

Chan nodded, signaling for WinWin to continue.

 

“You will have the backing of the most powerful mafia in this continent.”

 

It was irritating, when coming from someone like WinWin. What was there to expect? He was a cruel mafia boss. What he wanted wasn’t what Chan wanted. 

 

It wasn’t what Stray Kids wanted.

 

“I’m sorry. I’m not interested.”

 

In a way, it was kind of dumb. It was the offer of a lifetime. They could get closer to their goal if he said yes.

 

But to work for WinWin?

 

Chan wouldn’t stoop that low.

 

“That’s understandable.” WinWin nodded, tilting his head slightly as he crossed his legs, “A group with such a noble cause wouldn’t want to get involved with me.”

 

Chan quickly looked back at WinWin. Stray Kid’s goals were never stated to anyone outside the group. To everyone else, they should be a typical mafia. What did WinWin imply with ‘noble cause’?

 

“It was clear to me.” It was his turn to look out of the window, “Based on the moves you were taking, I could see that you aim for reform.”

 

Chan’s eyes narrowed. He tried to make sure they were subtle. They had to blend in. Chan allowed shady dealings like selling weapons and even some drugs. He didn’t want to do it but if he had to make this plan work, he had to get his hands dirty.

 

“I respect that you aren’t willing to go any lower than your moral compass allows. Even I couldn’t do that.”

 

Chan felt taken back by that last comment. What did he mean?

 

WinWin noticed the slight confusion, “I wanted to change this place too. I hated how things were. So I thought that maybe if I took control of it, I’d change it.” His face became genuinely bitter.

 

To Chan, it felt honest-which was something he never experienced while interacting with other mafia bosses-but at the same time, it felt too good to be true. 

 

But didn’t some of the worst of people start off with noble intentions?

 

“But I let myself fall. I’ve already committed too many crimes and I’ve become too selfish to end it.”

 

Chan felt he was at a loss of words.

How does one react to that? He didn’t think he’d ever run into a tragic hero-if WinWin was actually telling the truth, that is.

 

“Why do you really want us to join you?” 

 

The sky had become dark, allowing the dim lights of the restaurant to become the main source of light for them. It made the smile on WinWin’s face more mysterious then it already was.

 

“I want to make sure you don’t turn into me.”

 

It was supposed to be heartfelt.

 

But why did Chan feel so small?

 

“What if I say no?”

 

WinWin’s smile widened slightly, his eyes closed.

 

“I’m still the bad guy. I don’t need you to stay alive to get what I want.”

 

Chan took in a quick breath, fully understanding the situation he was in.

 

“No one says no to me.”

 

**********

 

9:24 PM

Sicheng was upset.

 

He couldn’t believe he was currently late. As he walked down the halls of his home, he thought of what he wanted to talk about.

 

“Maybe I’ll mention the lunch I had...” 

 

He opened the door, smiling sweetly with the sight of the back of Taeil’s head. Said man turned, his eyes peeking over the chair.

 

“Oh, you’re back.” Taeil greeted with a cute grin.

 

“Sorry I’m late hyung.”


	6. Golden Bird Cage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A typical night for Taeil and Sicheng...

“Sorry I’m late hyung.”

 

Shutting the door behind him, Sicheng approached his usual seat across Taeil.

 

“How was your day?” The brown-haired man asked, setting the book he had been reading on the table in front of him.

 

“It was great.” Sicheng placed the cups of tea on the table, “I accomplished a lot.”

 

Taeil nodded, knowing not to push that topic, “What did you eat today?”

 

Sicheng’s head perked up happily at the question, “I had some of the most exquisite Korean cuisine today. The restaurant I went to was amazing.”

 

“I’m glad you’re eating well.”

 

And Taeil really was glad. It would be hard to explain to most people but he knew Sicheng was a special case. 

 

Of course, he didn’t want to be cooped up in this room every single day. He wanted to leave and go home. But Taeil knew Sicheng well enough to understand that resisting would make things worse for the both of them.

 

So he decided to approach Sicheng in the way he always did.

 

“You’ve caused me no trouble since I’ve brought you here.” Sicheng took a sip of his tea, “As a reward, I was thinking of giving you something you want.”

 

Taeil’s hand paused midway, deciding to not take his cup of tea. He had to be really careful but he wanted to see how much Sicheng would allow.

 

“I want to go out.” Taeil said with slight hesitance.

 

_Maybe that was too much..._

 

He thought worriedly, fearing that he upset him.

 

Sicheng stared at Taeil with an unreadable look, the cup still wrapped by his fingers. Taeil wondered if he should just apologize.

 

“I understand that.” Sicheng nodded, “It must get boring in here when there’s not much to occupy yourself with.”

 

Taeil felt the tiniest bit of hope. Sicheng was always surprisingly understanding.

 

“I’m sorry hyung,” His smile softened, almost as if he regretted his actions, “but I can’t let you go out there.”

 

The thought of Taeil going back to a dangerous world, where even Sicheng couldn’t protect him at all times, made the mafia boss’s eyes narrow.

 

If someone ever hurt Taeil...

 

“I’m sorry.” Taeil blurted suddenly, “I get it. I won’t ask for that anymore.”

 

It made sense that it wouldn’t be that easy. Taeil needed to reach out to Sicheng more. There had to be a sense of trust between them if Taeil wanted to make progress with him.

 

Sicheng was pleased with Taeil’s response, surprised by how understanding he was. Then again, Taeil always surprised him. A brighter grin appeared on his face, the previous mood returning to the room.

 

“Sing that song for me hyung.”

 

Taeil noted how Sicheng would always ask for him to sing the same song.

 

“Ok.” 

 

And he sang.

 

Sicheng always looked so childishly happy when Taeil sang. It was weird.

 

But it gave Taeil motivation.

 

After he was done, Sicheng clapped softly, then placing the cups back on the tray, “That was beautiful as always.”

 

Taeil grinned, “Thank you.”

 

Sicheng nodded as he stood up abruptly , taking the tray and walking to the door.

 

“I need to go.”

 

Taeil turned around his chair, “Good night Sicheng.”

 

_ He’s so sweet. _

 

Sicheng returned the sentiment before closing and locking the door behind him. 

 

His heart was beating.

 

In the room, Taeil’s eyes lingered in the door, an unfamiliar feeling rose in his chest.

 

_ Something’s changed... _

 

But he didn’t know what.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel that this chapter was shorter than usual...sorry about that. Thanks for reading though!


	7. Leaks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time moves faster and more things are found out...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaah I didn’t intend to take so long to write this chapter...I hope to not take as long in the future.......I hope you enjoy reading!

The past three days had made Johnny anxious.

 

There was nothing new. It was hard to find leads when the mafias were painfully secure.But even then he felt that he was close to finding something. Really, really close. Even if he wasn’t sure of what it was.

 

June 11.

 

The date on the tiny dog themed calendar glared at him, reminding him that Taeil had been missing for six days. In any other case, he might as well as be considered dead.

 

But he wasn’t.

 

And maybe that was worse.

 

Johnny stared at his computer screen, the list of mafias leaving him at a loss. What mafia would want Taeil?

 

The loud blaring of a monotone ringtone pulled his attention to his phone. Grabbing it in a rush, Johnny answered it quickly, the excitement overwhelming.

 

“Yes, thank you!” 

 

The laugh from the other end made Johnny turn red, “What a way to answer your phone, Mr. Detective.”

 

“Hi Ten...” The embarrassment overtook him, his voice now quiet.

 

“You must be having a hard time these days huh?”

 

Johnny huffed, “I end up getting stuck every time I get a new lead. There’s so many things that seemingly don’t make sense.”

 

“That’s rough.” Johnny could imagine the smaller man nodding his head as he said that.

 

“Why’d you call?”

 

“There’s something I wanted to tell you.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“I want to talk to you in person.” Ten paused for a moment, “I’ll treat you to lunch.”

 

Johnny looked at the clock that sat next to his calendar.

 

12:30 PM.

 

It’s already past noon?

 

“Uh...yeah sure.” Johnny ran his hand through his hair, his mind reeling from how fast time was moving.

 

He needed to move faster.

 

**********

 

_ This place is huge! _

 

Johnny stared at the restaurant in awe, the building towering over the rest. He knew that Ten would probably choose a nice place but he didn’t expect it to be like this.

 

_ Rich people really have it good... _

 

As he walked in, he noted the amount of people in there. They wore fancy suits and dresses. It felt like he was at a ball.

 

“Are you alone?”

 

The voice of the hostess caught Johnny’s attention.

 

“Uh, no. A friend made a reservation.”

 

“Under what name?” She looked at the list of reservations that was on the podium she stood behind.

 

“Ten.”

 

The hostess scanned Johnny, her eyes showed skepticism for a moment but then it changed as if she recalled something, “He’s in the private room upstairs.” 

 

She called for a host that was nearby, telling him to take Johnny to his destination. The man happily complied.

 

“This way sir.” He smiled, leading Johnny.

 

“Thank you.” He was amused by the host’s enthusiasm.

 

After a few moments of silence, the host spoke, “Are you on a date with Ten?”

 

Johnny almost choked, “W-what? No!”

 

The host chuckled, “That’s a first. Anyway, what’s your name?”

 

“I’m Johnny.” 

 

_ This host is really chatty! _

 

“I’m Chanyeol.” He grinned, “Anyway, we’re here.”

 

They stopped in front of the said room, Chanyeol opening the door, allowing Johnny to walk through.

 

“Thank you Chanyeol.” Ten, who was sitting at the lone circular table in the middle of the room, smiled warmly.

 

Chanyeol nodded before closing the door. 

 

Johnny sat down, now being across Ten. The first thing that he noticed was the cup of coffee.

 

“You already ordered my drink?” Johnny was grateful.

 

“I was betting that you were a coffee person.” Ten grinned.

 

“And you’re not wrong.” Johnny lifted the cup to take a sip.

 

His smile widened, “I also already ordered the food since it usually takes forever. Sorry about that.”

 

“No it’s ok.” Johnny waved a hand, “I’m not allergic to anything. I’m also not picky when it comes to food.”

 

“Thank goodness then. I don’t want to be too much of a jerk.”

 

They both laughed at the statement. Johnny set his cup down, managing to avoid spilling any coffee.

 

“You wanted to talk about something right?” 

 

“Oh yeah,” Ten’s tone became a little more serious, “There’s quite a bit of things I want to tell you.”

 

He leaned back, sighing, “I’ve asked a friend of mine to look into any recent kidnappings done by mafias.”

 

“A friend?” Johnny questioned.

 

“Yeah, he’s got connections within every mafia at this point.” Ten shrugged, “I usually don’t talk about it with him though.”

 

“Okay...” Johnny took a moment to process the information, “Has he found out anything?”

 

Ten took a sip from his wine, “He’s confirmed that a few groups didn’t do it for sure.”

 

“Like who?”

 

“The Dog Skulls, the Lions, the Angels of Anarchy...” Ten listed the names.

 

After listing about eight more names, Ten finally stopped and drank more of his wine.

 

“If I’m being honest,” Johnny rubbed the back of his neck, “I didn’t think half of them were even active these days.”

 

“Of course not.” Ten scoffed, “Who does? It’s not like anyone who wants to do anything about it has the power to do so.”

 

Johnny grimaced, “I’ve actually been focusing on mafia groups a lot these days. My partner and I have come up with a conclusion on the motive.”

 

“And that’s...” The pause signaled Johnny to continue.

 

“They want Taeil himself rather than anything he has. For what, we don’t know yet.”

 

“That sounds like something right out of a book or TV drama.”

 

“It does.” Johnny agreed, “I feared that being the outcome.”

 

“Johnny.” Ten’s voice was stern.

 

The black-haired detective looked at him.

 

“Do you think hyung is alive?”

 

“Yes.” Johnny replied quickly with strong confidence, “I just know that Mr. Moon is alive.”

 

_ He just has to be... _

 

The sudden opening of the door startled the two men, their eyes now focusing on the male that had barged in.

 

“Ten-ge!” 

 

The man’s face was long and pretty. He had bangs that went below his eyes that framed his face, reminding Johnny of a prince from a Disney movie.

 

“Hendery.” Ten greeted, annoyance very much apparent on his face and in his voice.

 

Hendery sat down in the chair next to Ten, “Is that the detective you told me about.”

 

Ten just glared at him, making Johnny answer the question with a nod.

 

“Nice to meet you Mr. Seo! I’m Hendery, your friendly information broker!” He grinned widely.

 

“The pleasure is mine.” Johnny responded politely.

 

“Why are you here?” The irritated tone in Ten’s voice made Hendery snort.

 

“Sorry that I ruined your date ge.” 

 

Ten’s annoyance intensified.

 

“But I’m here with really important news.” 

 

“You couldn’t call or text me?”

 

“It’s way too important.” Hendery explained, “Besides, I can’t risk the possibility of hackers listening in or seeing our messages.”

 

“It’s that important huh...” Ten’s face softened back into a neutral state.

 

“Yeah and,” Hendery looked over to Johnny, “I think you need to know this too. Just don’t tell anyone.”

 

Jonny nodded, “What happened?”

 

The Sun shined brightly, the sky boldly blue as there were no clouds. Johnny was slightly anxious. What could be happening now?

 

“Stray Kids is becoming a part of WayV.”

 

Ten’s eyes widened, “What?”

 

Johnny was taken aback, the words barely setting in. 

 

“Supposedly, WayV has asked them to join. It had to do with land gain and expansion or something.”

 

Ten looked down at the table, his mind being caught up in his own thoughts.

 

“How do you know?” Johnny asked, doubt and suspicion filled him.

 

“I got it from a friend in WayV. Trust me, he’s pretty high up in the ranks.” Hendery gave a smile of reassurance.

 

Johnny decided to believe it for now. WayV was the biggest group in Asia at this point. It crossed his mind when making the list of potential suspects but they were so big and focused on bigger, large scale crimes, Johnny couldn’t believe that they would take Taeil.

 

_ But what if they managed to use that to their advantage? _

 

Johnny couldn’t continue his mental discussion as his phone rang.

 

“Ah, let me take this.” He stood up and walked into the bathroom that was in the opposite end of the room.

 

When he got in, he answered, “Hello?”

 

“Hey.” It was Jungwoo, his voice was soft but frantic.

 

“What’s wrong?” Johnny’s eyebrows furrowed in concern.

 

“Park Taeho is dead.”

 

Johnny’s breath hitched, “Dead?”

 

“I’m at the scene right now...” Jungwoo sighed heavily, “It’s brutal Johnny.”

 

The very first victim of the kidnappings was now dead. 

 

“I’ll...” Johnny gritted his teeth, “be there as fast as I can. Just text me the location.”

 

“Alright.” Jungwoo then hung up.

 

Johnny left the restroom quickly, then approaching the door of the room.

 

“I gotta go Ten, it’s an emergency. I’m really sorry.”

 

Ten looked at Johnny with worry but decided not to question, “It’s okay. We can eat together on a later date.”

 

Johnny smiled in gratitude before leaving.

 

“Can I eat his share then?” Hendery asked, already standing up to go to where Johnny sat.

 

“Go ahead. It should be coming any minute.” 

 

Hendery sat down, “Thanks ge!”

 

Ten looked out of the window, clearly bothered.

 

_ Sicheng’s group... _

 

“Hendery,” Ten looked back to the younger, “I need to know something.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“Who told you?” His eyes were intense, “Don’t give me the same answer you gave Johnny.”

 

Hendery tilted his head in slight amusement, “Yukhei told me that he overheard a conversation between Kun-ge and WinWin-ge. Apparently, it was confirmed that Stray Kids would become one with them.”

 

The names of the people made Ten taste something bitter.

 

_ Kun... _

 

A memory resurfaced,followed by many more.

 

Ten didn’t want to remember.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	8. The Domino Effect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are being set in motion on all sides...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m back!! I’m not too sure about this chapter but I hope to get better at writing! Enjoy reading!! I hope you like it!

_ For someone to die in that manner... _

 

Johnny stared at the corpse of Park Taeho from a distance, the scene so disturbing that even the detectives that should be used those sorts of sights were heavily disturbed. It was obviously meant to be found, a message or warning of sorts.

 

To who though?

 

“There’s so much blood...” Jungwoo’s jaw tightened.

 

Johnny could only nod, a grim expression on his face.

 

“It has to be them...” 

 

The two detectives turned their heads, noticing a young man with styled brown hair, his eyes focused on the crime scene. He seemed lost in thought, his mumbling getting louder and quieter at random times.

 

“Isn’t that the intern we see occasionally at work?” Jungwoo had a look of curiosity and amusement.

 

“Yeah...” Johnny replied, a few memories of the boy came to mind.

 

The intern’s attention turned to them as he felt that he was being watched.

 

“You’re the two detectives in charge of the missing person department!” He approached them, his eyes showed awe.

 

“Uh...yeah...” Jungwoo smiled awkwardly, slightly surprised.

 

“I’m Na Jaemin!” 

 

The grin on his face reminded Johnny of when he first started working as a detective. It was really endearing to see someone so young share that passion.

 

“I’m-“

 

“It’s okay! I know both of your names!”

 

_ He’s really outgoing. _

 

“Darn, I didn’t realize we were popular Jungwoo!” Johnny let out a soft laugh, wrapping his arm around his friend’s shoulder.

 

Jungwoo gently shrugged his arm off, “What were you mumbling about anyway?”

 

Jaemin looked away in slight embarrassment, “You heard me? That’s...” He started to laugh.

 

“I didn’t mean to embarrass you.” Jungwoo patted the boy’s head, “You were talking about ‘them’?”

 

“Oh!” Jaemin’s posture straightened, “I was referring to the Kamikaze.”

 

The Kamikaze was one of the big mafia groups in Seoul, invading from the Japanese crime scene. They were the only group capable and willing to cause trouble for WayV. Lately, though, they had been quiet.

 

“You’re suspecting the Kamikaze?” Jungwoo looked back at the body thoughtfully. 

 

“They’re one of the two groups that would do stuff like this.”

 

“The other one being...?”

 

“The Blood Phoenix,” Jaemin lifted a finger up, “but I’m confident that they didn’t do it.”

 

“The victim was part of the Blood Phoenix. Though, yes, they punish brutally, they wouldn’t go this far for members.” 

 

“So with that knowledge...” Johnny noted, impressed by Jaemin’s observation.

 

“It’s more likely that the Kamikaze would do it. Besides, no one has the courage to pull a stunt like this while WayV is in control.”

 

“WayV is against senseless murder...” Jungwoo commented.

 

“Exactly. The only group brave enough to do it has to be the Kamikaze.”

 

“You know the mafia groups pretty well.” Johnny stated.

 

Jaemin’s eyes sparkled in the sunlight, “I study as many groups as I can! It helps with all types of cases!”

 

Jungwoo turned to face Jaemin again, “How about you help us with our missing person cases? We’re kinda in a rough spot and this situation ties into our department.”

 

The smile on Jaemin’s face somehow widened, “Yes! I would love to! The other detectives never do anything!”

 

Johnny glanced over to Jungwoo who locked eyes with him.

 

_ Of course things were like this. _

 

**********

 

“Park Taeho’s death is now known to the public.” 

 

Kun looked at the underling and nodded, “Good work. You may go now.”

 

“Yes sir.” The man bowed and then left the room.

 

“Hey Kun-ge.” Yukhei called out, getting the attention of the older male. 

 

“What?”

 

“Why did Sicheng-ge do this? It’s out of character.” 

 

Kun looked at Lucas, trying to find an answer to give.

 

“I’m actually not too sure. But it’s not like anyone will be suspicious of us. Things like this are against WayV’s standards.”

 

Lucas leaned back on the expensive velvet couch he was sitting on, “Maybe he was trying to provoke Yuta...”

 

Kun hummed, “I mean, that’s not impossible. He does do that occasionally but at the same time, he’d never go that far.”

 

He picked up a glass of wine from his desk, then walking around the room, his mind being overrun by thoughts.

 

“I wonder if this is all part of some big plan...” Lucas looked up at the ceiling.

 

Kun’s eyes narrowed.

 

_ What is Sicheng doing? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can’t tell if this is shorter than usual but if it is, I apologize >_<


	9. Mercy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another night with Taeil and Sicheng...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did not intend to not update for so long TvT I’ve had a pretty bad writer’s block and this chapter is short but I have spent the time making plans for future chapters. I plan for the next chapter to be longer and come out sooner! Thank you for reading and have a nice day!!

Taeil stared into his cup of tea, the only sound he could hear was Sicheng’s soft humming.

 

“You seem happier than usual.” He commented, looking up at the other.

 

Sicheng’s smile didn’t falter once, “Is it obvious?”

 

“Yeah...” Taeil took a short breath in, “Did something good happen today?”

 

The blonde man simply nodded-a response, Taeil noted, that meant he wasn’t going to elaborate. Taeil had learned some things about Sicheng while he was here but not much. It was unsettling, the gentle man he thought he knew was WinWin, the leader of WayV. No one except other mafia bosses would have seen how he looked like. Sicheng’s face was a deceiving face.

 

Who would’ve known?

 

“Hey hyung.” Sicheng stared at Taeil with gentle affection.

 

“Yes?”

 

“This is hypothetical but,” His tone held curiosity, “if you figured out someone getting close to you only did so to harm you, what would you do?”

 

The question felt too specific and random to be hypothetical but Taeil knew better than to say it out loud.

 

“That depends on why.” He responded slowly, “But I think it’s for the best to end the relationship.”

 

“In the case of a crime like stealing something then.” Sicheng offered.

 

“I guess report them if it’s really bad? Though, if I found out before they took anything then maybe I’d let them go.”

 

“But what if letting them go only allows them to try with someone else?”

 

With that, Taeil took a moment to ponder the idea. Sicheng took the long pause as an opportunity to speak.

 

“You have to consider all the possibilities hyung.” Sicheng smiled, “People are desperate for money and survival so they’ll do anything for it. Even the most powerful among us are afraid of being nothing.”

 

Taeil looked into Sicheng’s eyes as the younger continued.

 

“It’s why there’s so much corruption in government and law enforcement. So in that case...”

 

Sicheng paused dramatically, a dark and intimidating expression ingrained into Taeil’s mind.

 

“Others take justice into their own hands.”

 

Taeil had always wanted the other to talk more but not like this.

 

Not like this.

 

“Others?” Taeil asked, internally wincing at probably how foolish he sounded.

 

“It’s normal for organized crime groups to kill petty criminals actually. Sometimes, it’s a twisted form of vigilantism.”

 

Rather than ask for details, Taeil decided to go for what he was really curious about, “Do you do that?”

 

Sicheng looked at him with wide eyes, always in a naive way. Taeil remembered when Sicheng had told him a few weeks ago that he thought that the older was wonderful. It was out of character but very sweet at the time. 

 

Seeing his true nature now shook Taeil to his core.

 

Sicheng laughed.

 

“Don’t you know what WayV is known for? We don’t support pointless violence.”

 

Taeil has heard about their number one policy and there was a lot of proof that supported that statement. 

 

But something felt _wrong_.

 

Why did it feel like it was a lie?

 

“There has to be a better way to deal with it.”

 

Sicheng’s eyebrow raised.

 

“Not all people have bad intentions...” Taeil felt a little weak while saying so.

 

Ideal: something Taeil always had been.

 

Sicheng nodded thoughtfully. The silence always made Taeil feel anxious. The other was always unpredictable-one of the things that had remained constant.

 

“You’re so kind hyung.” He was smiling again.

 

“Sicheng...”

 

“Call me Sichengie. You haven’t called me that at all since I’ve brought you here.” 

 

Childish: Another part of Sicheng that stayed consistent.

 

“Please sing for me, Taeil-hyung.”

 

Sicheng requested.

 

So Taeil sang.


	10. A Game of Chess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone makes a move...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So my writer’s block remained for awhile...I’m sorry that it took longer than I was supposed to. School also started for me just recently so I’ll be more dead than usual. However, I have planned out the story! I won’t stop! This chapter is longer than the other ones so I hope this kind of makes up for the absence! Thank you so much for reading!

_The Kamikaze..._

 

Johnny scrolled through the 10th news article, his eyes skimming over the words that he had seen in the ones before. The group was involved in a lot of things: Drugs, human trafficking, distribution of illegal weapons-the list was long and heinous. Unlike WayV, they killed people often, mercilessly, and unnecessarily. Johnny found their name to be ironic.

 

They were far from divine.

 

“Most articles just talk about their public kills.” Johnny’s eyes remained on his computer screen.

 

“With the way things are, everyone’s used to all the other crimes but that.” Jaemin leaned back into the chair, looking up from his notes, “Public execution is something exclusive to the Kamikaze.”

 

Jungwoo shivered, “I remember the first time it happened.”

 

The young intern nodded, “They really made a name for themselves when they started doing that five years ago. It was bold since WayV was already in power then.”

 

“Has it really been that long?” A tight smile appeared on Johnny’s face.

 

“Unfortunately yes.” Jaemin continued to write in his notebook, “And it’ll continue, especially with the unending rivalry between those two groups.”

 

“I’ve always found it amazing that the Kamikaze is considered a threat to WayV.” Jungwoo commented.

 

“The Kamikaze are willing to do things that even WayV won’t do. But at the same time, it’s rumored that WinWin only lets the other exist for his own entertainment.”

 

“It doesn’t matter if it’s a rivalry or for fun,” Johnny huffed, “it’s messed up just like everything else in this city.”

 

A silence followed his statement. It was an established fact. It had been that way for decades. Tired and frustrated, they could only do their best to even survive.

 

“Anyway, how are we going to find out if any of these groups, even more so, the Kamikaze, have committed any kidnappings?” Jungwoo’s eyebrows were furrowed as he subconsciously fixed his newly bleached hair.

 

Both he and Jaemin pondered the question as Johnny remembered something important.

 

Hendery.

 

_That guy that has a lot of connections._

 

Johnny knew he couldn’t tell Jungwoo and Jaemin right off the bat. He would call Ten later and tell him his request.

 

“It’s already noon.” Jungwoo looked at the time on his phone, “How about we go eat out? It’ll be my treat.”

 

The youngest among them instantly brightened, “Thanks hyung!”

 

There was Johnny’s chance.

 

“There’s something I have to do right now so you two just go on without me.”

 

The other two looked at him skeptically. Johnny laughed softly.

 

“Seriously. Besides,” He pointed over to his lunch bag, “I already brought something.”

 

Jungwoo gave a curt nod as he and Jaemin got their coats and left. Johnny gazed at the entrance of his office for a few moments before taking his phone out. Staring at Ten’s saved number, the detective hesitated-it felt wrong, keeping such a vital piece of information from his coworkers. He shook his head, he’d tell them when he was confident that Hendery was reliable. 

 

If either Ten or Hendery agree with him in the first place.

 

With that, he pressed the call button and raised the phone to his ear. It was moments like this where he felt his desperation. It couldn’t be helped in this situation. 

 

Never before in Johnny’s life had he felt this uncertain.

 

Not when he first moved to South Korea. Not when he became a detective. Not when he was faced with his very first missing person case.

 

“Mr. Detective?”

 

The familiar voice of Ten made Johnny smile. The two started calling each other for things besides the case. How Ten, a busy CEO, had time to talk to Johnny, a local detective, about the most random things always puzzled the latter but nonetheless, it was appreciated.

 

“Hey Ten.” Johnny greeted, his smile still there.

 

“Why’d you call?”

 

“I have a request.” His tone became serious, deciding to get straight to the point.

 

“What is it?”

 

“There’s a specific group we’re suspecting.”

 

“We’re?” Ten asked teasingly.

 

“My friends and I. I’m using the royal we-“ Johnny rolled his eyes, “Stop doing that, I’m being serious.”

 

There was a laugh from the other end, “I’m sorry, you seemed tense. Please continue.”

 

“Thanks.” Johnny couldn’t help but grin.

 

“I’m suspecting the Kamikaze and I was wondering if your friend, Hendery, can confirm that.”

 

**********

 

Ten held his breath.

 

What made Johnny suspect the Kamikaze?

 

Though Ten knew he lacked evidence, he had his own suspicions. Maybe he was being a little unfair but his gut feeling was strong.

 

But who was he to say no to Johnny?

 

“I’ll ask him then. But I’m curious as to why?” He was sure that Johnny noticed the sudden disappearance of his light-hearted tone.

 

“So,” He heard the slight surprise in Johnny’s voice, “you’ve heard the latest news about the murder of Park Taeho right?”

 

“I have...” Ten paused to think, “This is a Kamikaze thing to do.”

 

“Yep. And there’s more to it but I’d rather not say that over the phone.”

 

“Understandable. I won’t pry into it more than I have.”

 

“Thanks. You’ve always been helpful.” Johnny’s voice sounded uncharacteristically small, “This case has been stressful and there’s so much at stake...I really owe you.”

 

Ten’s heart felt warm, “You better not bail on our next date.”

 

“I-“ Johnny stuttered, “I won’t as long as there’s no emergency.”

 

“I’ll make sure that you keep to your word then.” 

 

“Alright. Talk to you later.” 

 

“See you soon.” Ten grinned triumphantly.

 

As soon as he hung up, his lips turned into a small frown, the silence in his larger-than-necessary office irritated him slightly. He then quickly called Hendery. The younger, for once, answered right away.

 

“Hello?” Hendery sounded slightly startled.

 

“I need you to do me a favor.”

 

“Another one? I’m still doing research for the other thing.”

 

Ten restrained from laughing at the bare minimum Hendery gave when it came to phone calls. Things like this didn’t call for much caution apparently.

 

“I’m doing this for a friend.”

 

“A friend as in the oh-so great Mr. Detective?”

 

Ten sat in his chair, “Who else would it be for?”

 

“True, true.” Ten could imagine Hendery playfully nodding, “What group then?”

 

“The Kamikaze.”

 

“Oh.” Hendery paused awkwardly, “I think I get why. And I can totally look into it but...”

 

“But what...?” Ten waited for the other to continue.

 

“It’s just that...” Hendery seemed to struggle with his words, “the leader is known to be...unhinged.”

 

“It’s not like you’re meeting him in person are you? Just do it.” Ten snapped.

 

“Ok ok ok.” Hendery whined, “But you owe me a dinner.”

 

“Fine. Thanks by the way.”

 

“I’d say no problem but this is definitely a problem.” And then he hung up.

 

Ten placed his phone down on his desk before letting out a heavy sigh. He didn’t like doing stuff like this. He hated crime and he hated even being associated with it in the slightest. 

 

_But this is for justice._

 

The small reminder that a close friend of his was missing motivated him again. He didn’t particularly like what he was doing but it was for the greater good.

 

 _Now that I think about it..._  

 

Before Ten could hesitate, he grabbed his phone and looked for a specific contact. Seeing the name made his frown worsen.

 

It had been years and maybe they still didn’t want to see him.

 

And he didn’t really want to see them either.

 

_Johnny’s worked so hard and Taeil-hyung’s been missing for eight days._

 

If he could help them, if he could help solve this case then...

 

Ten needed to get over his feelings for now.

 

The silver-haired man didn’t even realize he had pressed the call button already. He slowly brought the phone to his ear, the ringing making him regret it more and more.

 

“Ten?” The voice answered. 

 

He couldn’t go back now.

 

*********

 

“I’ve got to admit,” Nakamoto Yuta chuckled, “You have a great taste in food.”

 

WinWin nodded, finally deciding to look at the man across from him. Yuta was a good looking man-his smile was charming, being able to lure people in like he was a forbidden fruit only to bring them into eternal damnation. His hair, now red, was tied into a man bun which got many people to stare at him.

 

Nakamoto Yuta was a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

 

“Compliments aside, why did you get that guy killed?”

 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” 

 

It was supposed to be a denial but the small smile on WinWin’s face let the other know what he knew. Why WinWin acted like this, even Yuta wasn’t sure.

 

But that was something he actually liked about WinWin.

 

“Winko, don’t waste your time denying something we both knew from the get-go.”

 

WinWin picked up his glass of champagne, “I have a reputation you know.”

 

“No one except me is here. There’s no need to use that fake moral compass of your’s.” Yuta smiled, “Besides, you haven’t answered my question.”

 

WinWin shrugged, “I wanted to try something new.”

 

“And you call yourself “noble” among us criminals.” Yuta motioned air quotes.

 

Curious as ever, Yuta was tempted to probe on the reason but he knew better than to actually question WinWin. 

 

He wasn’t strong enough yet.

 

“Anyway, I don’t appreciate you dumping all the media’s attention on me.” Yuta leaned forward, his elbows resting on the table as he held up his head with his hands.

 

“I thought you liked attention.” WinWin stated, feigning slight innocence.

 

Yuta let out a short and quiet laugh, “My men are having a hard time getting the drugs around when the press are everywhere. I think those reporters are getting too bold.”

 

WinWin only drank more of his champagne.

 

“This is your fault Winko.” Yuta frowned, “I haven’t even done anything to you recently.”

 

“I’m not apologizing.” WinWin smiled.

 

“I’m not expecting you to.” Yuta looked out the window, “I know better than to provoke a monster like you so I’m admitting temporary defeat for now.”

 

“I’m grateful for your cooperation.” WinWin stood up, “Though I hope you have something for the future. This city is getting boring without your antics.”

 

Yuta smirked, “Don’t worry yourself so much.”

 

They stared at each other for a moment before Yuta also stood up and brought his face closer to WinWin’s.

 

“I’m not going down without a fight.”

 

WinWin returned a similar expression, something that even Yuta couldn’t identify, hid in his eyes. 

 

Something sinister.

 

For Yuta, that was exciting.

 

“Glad we’re on the same page then, Nakamoto Yuta.”

 

He began to walk away, leaving Yuta to pay the bill for their lunch. The restaurant was spacious and empty, just the way WinWin liked it. 

 

As WinWin walked away, Yuta stared at his back, “He’s so dramatic.”

 

But Yuta was always in it for the theatrics.

 


	11. Resolve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ten and Johnny learn things about each other as they eat lunch...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve finally returned TvT. The workload from school hasn’t been as bad as junior year but I’m not prepared for college applications...Wish anyone doing that the best of luck! But going back on the topic of TTOTMM, thank you for supporting this story! I really have my plans together so I hope I can post faster but if I can’t, I can definitely promise that I won’t give up on this it. Aaah, this is a lot longer than I anticipated so I’ll end it at that. Thank you for reading and have a nice day!

_ This place is tiny! _

 

The restaurant set before Johnny’s eyes was a small, Thai place hidden in an area between a local food store and a clothing shop. It wasn’t a place you would think a powerful CEO would choose to eat at but Johnny liked it as it was what he was used to. Ten had invited him to eat out for lunch-to which he almost declined due to working but Jungwoo and Jaemin insisted that he take a break for once so they kicked him out of his own office. As he walked in, the man of the hour saw him and waved at him enthusiastically, motioning him to come over to the table he was sitting at. Johnny was fascinated by the casual look Ten was sporting-he still looked expensive but not like the boss of hundreds of people. 

 

“Like what you see?” Ten asked, aware that Johnny was staring.

 

Johnny laughed, “It’s just that you look different.”

 

“Do I look bad?”

 

“Of course not.” Johnny took a seat, appreciating the details of the wooden table, “This place is gorgeous.”

 

Ten lit up, “Isn’t it? I love this place! I went here all the time when I moved to Korea.”

 

“Really?” Johnny found Ten’s current demeanor-without all the glamour and formalities-to be really endearing.

 

“Taeyong inherited NCT after his dad died while they were in Thailand. He didn’t want to run the company by himself so he asked me to be Co-CEO.” Ten then thanked the waitress who brought two glasses of water, “I’ll have Pad Thai. How about you Johnny?”

 

“I’ll have the Green Curry.” 

 

The waitress smiled sweetly before taking their menus. Ten made a random comment in Thai which made her giggle before replying and going on her way.

 

“What was that about?” Johnny took a sip of water.

 

“I told her that her new makeup suits her well.” Ten grinned, “She’s kind of like a mom to me.”

 

“That’s nice.”

 

“It is.” Ten then remembered to continue his story, “Oh yeah, I didn’t finish what I was saying earlier.”

 

With that Johnny laughed, “Then continue.”

 

“Ok, so you see,” Ten was also laughing, “Taeyong had to work some complicated stuff out before putting me into position. Even though I was staying at his place, I was broke since I decided to be stubborn.”

 

“Sounds like a rags-to-riches story.” 

 

“Kinda.” Ten snorted, “I was well off before. Everyone knows that much about me.”

 

“I don’t keep up with businesses and the people involved.” 

 

“It’d help you out if you did.”

 

Johnny shrugged, “I’ve done fine without it so...”

 

He knew better.

 

“If you say so.” Ten had smirked, that powerful flare his attitude had reminded Johnny of the other’s position of power, “Anyway, I’m curious about you. What’s your life story?”

 

“Me?” Johnny pointed to himself, “It’s not that interesting.”

 

The Thai man scoffed, “A guy named Johnny, living in South Korea, who’s really passionate about justice and being a detective in a world where conforming to crime is normal, expected even? That’s pretty interesting.”

 

“You think so?” Johnny flushed slightly.

 

“You’re one of a kind.” Ten seemed a little shy about his own words, “Now stop stalling and tell me your backstory.”

 

“Alright, alright...” Johnny sighed, “I was born in the U.S. and moved here when I was in high school. My dad’s job relocated him and my parents didn’t want our family to be apart. Now I’m here.”

 

Ten looked disappointed at the blandness of it all, “Really? That’s all you have to say?”

 

“What else am I supposed to say? I didn’t have a tragic childhood or anything like that.” Johnny was playfully offended.

 

“Why are you a detective? Something must have made you want to be one.”

 

Johnny looked up, seemingly trying to think of a thoughtful answer, “I just woke up one day and decided to be one.”

 

“Please say sike.” Ten groaned, “I refuse to believe someone as determined as you would choose a profound job on a mere whim.”

 

Johnny let out a loud laugh, “I’m joking. You really don’t like boring stuff huh?”

 

“Boring people aren’t my type.” Ten’s lips twitched upward, “I know there’s more to you than that.”

 

“I have a more meaningful reason.”

 

“Please tell.” Ten dramatically sprawled his arms on the table, placing the back of his right hand on his forehead while looking up at him.

 

_ He’s so strange sometimes. _

 

With that thought, Johnny began, “Back in high school, there were a series of missing person cases-similar to now actually.”

 

“I heard about that. It was pretty bad back then.” 

 

“A lot of students were taken.” Johnny became solemn, “Some of my friends were victims and I couldn’t stand it. That’s why I’m where I am now.”

 

Ten stared at Johnny with an understanding that he didn’t know he needed settling in his heart. He always knew that the detective was genuine, it was seen clearly in his demeanor and his determination. It was in his hope and his frustration. But it was only now that Ten understood the meaning and the gravity of Johnny’s disposition.

 

“You’re a kind person.” Ten blurted out, the honest look of admiration he had surprised the other.

 

“Kind, huh?” Johnny looked down, his eyes focusing on the table again, “It’s just that someone had to find those people and if no one was going to do it, then I’d do it myself. I’m really lucky that I have Jaemin and Jungwoo to work with.”

 

“Is the police force that far gone?” Ten raised himself from the table.

 

Running his hand through his hair, which became a habit these days, Johnny bitterly thought of his time in training. He was naive, thinking that all the detectives and police officers were champions of justice, sharing his dreams.

 

“I was an idiot to think that they were actually doing something.” 

 

Johnny’s world had changed when he first learned of the influence crime groups had over the justice system. The reality of it all felt too fake, felt too much of a nightmare to be real. The people he admired were conniving snakes who put on masks of justice and the ones who were against crime were too afraid to do anything. At the time, he believed he was living a drama.

 

“I keep talking about the corruption of the supposed protectors of the city but I feel like not many people are listening.”

 

Ten felt a burst of emotion, an impulse. The need to let that tall and black haired detective know that he understands him. He was moved.

 

“I’m listening.”

 

Johnny blinked in pleasant surprise. That wasn’t what he was expecting as a response but it made him happier than it probably should have.

 

“Thanks...” 

 

Slightly playing with the ring on his right hand, Ten nodded with a small smile. He really liked Johnny’s down-to-earth self. Life felt so simple around him. In the short time they’ve known each other, Ten had come to care for Johnny, considering him to be a good friend already.

 

And now he was ready to do anything to help Johnny.

 

Even if it made his heart twist, falling back into a place he didn’t want to recall.


	12. House of Cards

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Every system is fragile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've come back from the grave to post a chapter! I hadn't realized how much time has passed and it's made me feel really guilty about it. What's worse is that this chapter isn't even as long as some of the other ones so it's not like it makes up for the time I was gone. I truly apologize for that. To be honest, even though I have my plans set out for this story, I had a hard time writing in itself so it was a slow process to get this chapter done. But it's done now and I just had a spark of motivation and inspiration to write and it's blazing. I hope to get chapter 13 written in about two weeks at the rate I'm going at now~ I want to give my apologies and gratitude to anyone that has had to wait for this (especially since this chapter could have been longer). I'm just grateful that anyone read this story at all. This is the actual first long story I've written in my life (past ones would be incomplete or too short to be considered long haha) and I have so much planned and I'm excited to place that out there and improve as a writer. Truly, thank you. I'm sorry that this is long TvT. Have a nice day~

“We really need to fix this light.” 

 

Han Jisung looked up at the broken lightbulb that made up half of the light source of Chan’s office. It was a tiny room as the group never prioritized making their home base look better.

 

“Jeongin and I are going to get a new bulb tomorrow,” Hyunjin stated while the younger nodded in confirmation.

 

“About time!” Jisung pushed a few stray strands of his dark blue hair out of his face, “It’s hard to see in here.”

 

“I’ll have you know that I like it dark in here.” Chan, who was now entering the office, commented.

 

The eight other males in the room stared at their leader and said their greetings. 

 

“But you were whining over how you couldn’t read stuff due to the bad lighting last night.” Woojin teased, a playful grin on his face.

 

Chan pouted at the oldest, making everyone laugh.

 

“It’s funny how people think you’re always terrifying!” Jisung threw his head back, cackling at the irony.

 

Despite the room being dim and dirty, the boys could only feel warmth

 

“What’d you call this meeting for anyway?” Felix asked.

 

Everyone quieted down to let Chan speak.

 

Stray Kids, at its core, was a group of lost boys who found a family in each other. The respect and loyalty they held for Chan who made, led, and protected the group was unbounded. 

 

“I’ve been very tightlipped about it for this whole week since it’s a delicate situation.” He sat down at his desk, eliminating any remnant of the lighthearted atmosphere, “But Stray Kids is becoming a part of WayV.”

 

The others froze at the revelation.   
  


“How did that happen?” Changbin was extremely tense.

 

“WinWin invited me out to dinner last week,” Chan recalled the memory, “And in short, subtly threatened me into merging our group with his.”

 

The boys were clearly worried, especially as they couldn’t do anything about it. 

 

“Look, I know this all sounds like our situation is dire but I already have an idea.” The white-haired leader stood up, leaning forward with his hands on the table.

 

“To get us out of this situation?” Minho asked.

 

“No, unfortunately. But we can make all of this work for us.”

 

Chan bit his lip slightly, “I know that you all have your concerns but this is an opportunity to destroy WayV from within.”

 

“That’s ambitious.” Jisung mused with a nervous, tight-lipped smile.

 

“Basically, we’re going to destroy WayV’s connections by somehow removing the threats he has over them.”

 

“But how?” 

 

“That’s why I said somehow, Jisung,” Chan deadpanned, “We first have to figure out the inner workings of their system. That’s why this plan isn’t detailed right now.”

 

Jeongin, who was sitting in the chair in front of Chan’s desk, looked up at the elder, “So we’re playing nice with them until we have leverage over them?” 

 

“Exactly. This is going to be the most daunting task we’ve taken on and maybe the hardest one we’ll have in our lives.”

 

“Damn it, Chan,” Woojin sighed, but smiling nonetheless, “When we said that we wanted a better world to live in, this wasn’t the way I envisioned us achieving it.”

 

“But you aren’t gonna stop me, are you?” 

 

“You’re the leader. I can’t stop you even if I wanted to.”

 

They all nodded in agreement, making Chan grin.

 

“Thanks guys, we have to support each other in times like this.”

 

Changbin chuckled, “Hyung, you’ve always had grand and childish dreams.”

 

The comment made Chan contemplate for a moment. It was difficult to have heroic dreams in the society they lived in. People had always said that it was strange for someone like him to be aiming so high. How could he imagine a happy ending?

 

“If I didn’t, this world would have swallowed me whole already.”

 

**********

 

 Chan sat at his desk, looking through a weapon sale they were offered by one of their allies in Malaysia. They were going to have to purchase it to avoid any suspicion from prying eyes. Being a new and poor group was starting to lose its effectiveness as a good excuse.

 

_ If only this wasn’t necessary…   _

 

The ringing of his current disposable phones surprised him.

 

“Who’d be calling me so late at night?” He grumbled to himself, picking the small device from his desk and looking at the caller ID.

 

A number he didn’t recognize.

 

He answered after a moment of hesitance, “Hello?”

 

“Bang Chan, leader of Stray Kids.” A voice spoke, sounding extremely formal.

 

“Who is this?” 

 

“This is Kun,” The male replied, “WinWin’s right-hand man.”

 

Chan remembered WinWin saying that someone from his group would call him about something. 

 

The Australian internally scolded himself for forgetting something that important.

 

“Why are you calling?”

 

“You are ordered to come to WayV’s main hideout on June 16.”   
  
“For what?” Chan wondered why WinWin didn’t say it straight to his face.

 

“WinWin wants you to get to know the main building,” Kun’s voice was cold and commanding, just like his boss’, “If there are no issues, then you will come.”

 

And then the man hung up.

 

Chan clicked his tongue before sucking in a breath. What a position he got himself into. Chan felt unnerved at how quickly his cold front can crumble whenever WayV was involved. 

 

“Channie-hyung, I have the lights!” Jeongin, who walked into the room suddenly, exclaimed, surprising the leader.

 

“Thanks.” Chan intended to smile but it came out as an unpleasant grimace.

 

Jeongin nodded, handed the box to him, and left the room. Chan was grateful for the younger’s considerate personality. As much as the youngest of Stray Kids would tease everyone and was extremely sharp with his words, he always knew when it was best to speak or ask questions.

 

 Chan let his thoughts go back to what he was thinking about before.

 

Would he be able to lead Stray Kids through this?

 

The lone lightbulb that lit the dim room flickered.

 

**********

 

Lucas walked into Kun’s office, “Kun-ge.”

 

“You’re back already, Xuxi?” 

 

The taller of the two gave a close-lipped smile, “It wasn’t hard. They said that they’d pay up in two days after I mentioned Sicheng-ge’s waning patience.”

 

“That’s good,” Kun approached Lucas and placed a hand on his shoulder, “You did a great job handling that on your own so you should go get some rest and I’ll treat you to lunch or dinner soon.”

 

The tan man laughed softly, “I appreciate that, ge. Can it be lunch tomorrow?”

 

The gentle look on Kun’s face soured slightly, “I have an important meeting to go to at that time. How about tomorrow night or lunch the day after that.”

 

“I think the day after tomorrow would be better,” Lucas stated, “Besides, the place I want to go to serves this one thing specifically at lunchtime and I really want to try it out.”

 

“Alright then, it’s settled. Thank you, Xuxi.” 

 

After Lucas left, Kun glanced over to the files that WinWin had left him with. WinWin had been acting strange these days, his choice of actions seemingly having no legit motive. Kun was bothered by the idea that there was something that WayV’s leader was doing without his knowledge. What if it was related to the group? Or what if it was something undoubtedly sinister? 

 

The concerns only left dread in their tracks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm planning to go back and properly edit past chapters XD, I think there's a lot I have to fix. Thank you for reading!


	13. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ten meets someone from his past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm happy that I managed to post this as I scheduled! I was worried that it would be held up again but I did it haha! It wasn't as long as I thought it'd be but nonetheless, it gets my plans across. I'm not sure when I'll finish chapter 14 but I hope it won't take me too long. 
> 
> Thank you for reading and I hope you have a nice day! ^-^

Ten wanted to leave.

 

He wanted to stand up from that uncomfortable library chair and just leave.

 

He wasn’t one to have second thoughts about anything but this situation, this part of his life, had always left him second-guessing. It was a part of him that wasn’t, and might never be resolved.

 

Phone calls for things like this were extremely risky. 

 

But maybe he would have been lucky if he just did this by call.

 

_ No...I can’t risk it no matter what. _

 

Ten glanced around and took in the empty private study room he rented. It was small, making him feel claustrophobic. If he could, he’d turn the grey walls into a latte brown. It’d feel a lot homier that way.

 

_ Kinda like Johnny. _

 

The thought made him pause. He couldn’t deny it-he likened the stressed and coffee-addicted detective to the color. Both Johnny and latte brown were warm, friendly, and down-to-earth.

 

Ten felt his heartbeat calm down. He had to do this. It was for the greater good.

 

The door opened. Ten held his breath as he watched the person walk in. Each step was careful and decisive.

 

“Kun…”

 

“Good afternoon, Ten.”

 

Kun always had strong composure but Ten felt like a stranger to his cold demeanor. Then again, what did he expect? Despite the familiar sweater and buttoned-up shirt combo, this was a Kun he really didn’t know.

 

“Thanks for coming.”

 

“Why did you invite me?” 

 

Ten internally flinched at the speed of Kun’s responses. He looked downward, needing to gather his thoughts for his response. Kun seemed to be merciful enough to wait for him.

 

“I heard about the murder of Park Taeho,” Ten began, “Executed basically. I know everyone suspects the Kamikaze and all but…”

  
  


The pause allowed Kun to process his statement. It didn’t take Kun long to realize what Ten was getting at.

 

“Are you suspecting WinWin?” Kun asked, his face didn’t change but his voice carried a tinge of venom.

 

Ten’s jaw tightened at the rise in subtle intensity. WinWin was always the reason for these moments-even now when his relationship with Kun was like this.

 

“Yes,” Ten looked at the other in the eyes, “I am suspecting him.”

 

He felt bad. It was as if nothing had changed and he didn’t learn anything from the last time they talked. 

 

“But it’s not baseless. Kun, you should know that better than anyone.”

 

They never saw eye-to-eye when it came to WinWin. Yet Ten knew that Kun understood what he meant. Ten never needed to see WinWin do those things himself to know who that man was in reality. Ten wasn’t ignorant.

 

“I don’t need to prove that to you.” He said under his breath, hoping that he didn’t hit a nerve too hard this time.

 

But that lack of ignorance was what drove Kun away.

 

“I know that you despise criminal organizations but surely you know how WayV works. Obviously, we wouldn’t do such a thing.”

 

The way Kun looked-even the way he sounded-had kept a chilling consistency. Ten had realized that his plan had already failed. It was a long stretch, he understood, but Kun was the most ensuring source to him. And honestly, he was just surprised that Kun even agreed to meet.

 

Ten wasn’t sure about any of this.

 

The lack of any reaction from Ten irritated Kun, “Is this why you invited me here? To throw accusations?”

 

He almost sounded hurt.

 

Almost.

 

Saying either yes or no would be a big lie. And hadn’t he hurt the brown-haired man enough?

 

“Not entirely…” Ten somehow kept eye contact with him.

 

Kun raised his eyebrows in slight surprise.

 

“I was worried about you,” The Thai man let out quietly as if he was telling a secret.

 

Truthfully, he wouldn’t have invited Kun out of it wasn’t for the case even though he was worried about the other. 

 

But Kun didn’t need to know all the details.

 

“And why are you worried about me now?” The creases on his face softened ever-so-slightly.

 

Ten felt his pain slip into his tone, “I mean, I’ve been worried about you this whole time but I needed to build the courage to even call you.”

 

Kun finally looked away, “I see.”

 

Somehow, those two words made Ten relax. The pitiful awkwardness between them currently was the best they’ve had in a long time. He was genuinely grateful for that.

 

With nothing important left to say, Ten stood up, “Please don’t tell anyone about this. That’ll be the last favor I’ll ever ask of you. Besides, I don’t think there’s any point in saying anything.”

 

Kun only nodded, deeming their rendezvous as purely personal.

 

“Thanks,” Ten smiled, somewhat sadly, “I’m…uh…sorry for inviting you here and it wasn’t for even long and you probably didn’t even want to see me…” 

 

“No, it’s fine,” Kun cuts in, sounding like the Kun Ten once knew, “I actually wanted to see you.”

 

Ten paused, the discomfort becoming apparent to him again. Kun looked like he wanted to say more but the silence was becoming unbearable.

 

“Oh,” Ten turned away, walking past the other and opening the door, “I’m glad…”

 

For the first time in forever, the air between them had a sense of peace. 

 

“Again, I’m sorry wasting your time like this. I would stay longer but I just remembered that I needed to do something.” 

 

“I understand, it’s fine. I also have things to do.” Kun glanced back.

 

“Alright…Goodbye then.” 

 

And Ten left, closing the door behind him.

 

The Chinese man sighed and took his phone out.

 

1:34 P.M.

 

He decided to call Lucas.

 

“Kun-ge?”

 

“I’m free for lunch if you still haven’t eaten.”

 

“How about your meeting?” Despite the intimidating deepness of his voice, he spoke with soft kindness.

 

“It ended early,” Kun looked at the gray walls, “So let’s go to that place you wanted to try.”

 

_ The wall color would look better in latte brown. _

 

Kun thought that useless thought with a bitter smile.


	14. Two Steps Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are changing for the both of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I realize that I hadn't updated since February and I feel apologetic because of that. The pandemic, quarantining, and online schooling really messed my creative process up. I was already beginning to write chapter 14 when I had published chapter 13 but it was kind of difficult to write for a while. I'm glad that I finished it today and I hope that I'll be more prepared to write the next upcoming chapters. I pretty much have the whole story planned at this point so now all that's left is details and actually writing it. Thank you for reading TTOTMM, whether you just found it or you've been waiting this whole time (which I really apologize to you guys since you always hear this whole apology at the beginning of every chapter TvT). I hope you're all taking care during these hard times and I pray for the best for all of you. I hope TTOTMM can raise your enjoyment even just a little. Once again, thank you and I hope you have a good day!

Taeil shrunk under Sicheng’s gaze. This scenario was predictable by now, every single day without fail, Taeil found himself face to face with the intimidating man that kept him there. It was a curious habit, no matter how busy the Chinese man is, they still met in the evening.

 

_“I’ve taken and isolated you here so it gets lonely, doesn’t it?”_

 

The other day, Taeil had asked Sicheng why he visited him even with his schedule.

 

_“The least I can do is keep you company in the evening.”_

 

There was a gentleness in Sicheng’s mannerisms when they talked. It sometimes made Taeil forget the position the other was in.

 

“Do you like your room? I can change it if you want,” Sicheng offered.

 

Taeil shook his head, “It’s perfectly fine. It’s fairly comfortable and I really love the colors.”

 

Something about his response made Sicheng smile, “These colors were my mother’s favorite.”

 

The mention of his mother had brought out a fondness Taeil hadn’t seen before. Sicheng’s mother seemed to be a sensitive subject, but not an unwelcome one. The gentleness was not reserved specifically for Taeil, but for love. The colors brought a wave of fond memories back, of summer days with a mother that loved him, of winter mornings where the cold was fought back with blankets and cocoa, of the weak smile and kind eyes his mother had on her dying day.

 

“What was she like?” Taeil asked, wanting to know and hoping that he could reach out to the other.

 

“She was…” Sicheng paused to think carefully, “She was tender and loving and overall a wonderful person.”

 

Recalling his mother brought out a childish wonder that had only come out whenever the warm man in front of him asked him about his day or what he had eaten. Taeil found the opportunity to see the real Sicheng. To get to know him. To possibly pull him out of the abyss he had jumped into. This moment was important.

 

“You remind me of her actually.” 

 

Sicheng had an affinity for people like his mother. For him, there weren’t many of those sorts of people in the world. 

 

“Do I?” Taeil rubbed the back of his neck, “I’m honored.”

 

He found himself needing to be even more careful. Sicheng had been nothing but gracious towards him, yet somehow Taeil knew that he’d been treading on thin ice. After all, Sicheng was WinWin. The same WinWin who was known as a black hole, forcefully dragging people in and ripping them to shreds.

 

Sicheng took a sip of his tea and sighed, “I think you’re amazing as well,” He paused for a few seconds, “maybe even better…”

 

The off-handed comment made Taeil freeze, “Huh?”

 

“It’s nothing,” Sicheng shook his head, “Did you like the food you had today?”

 

It took the other a moment to let his mind drop the topic as if it wasn’t important. He thought back to his breakfast and lunch. It was a carefully thought out meal, a balanced diet as it usually was.

 

“I liked it,” Taeil stated, “You have good taste in food.”

 

“I need you to eat well. It’d be cruel if I didn’t take care of you.” 

 

Sicheng liked to express how much he wanted to take care of Taeil. It was as if he wanted to keep reassuring the other that he would never hurt him-that keeping him there was the best choice. 

 

“Thank you, you even gave me the food I love.”

 

“Nothing but the best for you.”

 

They both fell into silence. Taeil didn’t want the conversation to end there. He couldn’t waste any second that he could inch closer to the other.

 

“What are your favorite foods?” He asked.

 

“My favorite…?” Sicheng looked somewhat surprised.

 

“You know mine,” Taeil fiddled with his fingers a little, “It’s only fair that I know yours, isn’t it?”

 

Sicheng was taken aback slightly, processing what Taeil had said. A pleasant feeling had bubbled up in his heart. He was confident that more than anyone, he knew how kind Taeil was, but small things like asking him about his favorite things caught him off guard. 

 

It made Sicheng incredibly happy.

 

“There’s actually a lot of foods I like, but to tell you a few, I love hot pot and tiramisu.”

 

“Really? Maybe we should try to make some of those together sometime…” Taeil suggested.

 

Sicheng contemplated the idea, taking a liking to the thought of doing things like cooking and reading with the older.

 

“That would be nice,” He laughed softly, “We haven’t done anything like that ever since you’ve come here.”

 

If Sicheng goes through with this, that means Taeil would be able to leave the room. It was small, but progress is progress. There were many things he had to figure out but he would get there.

 

“I look forward to it Sichengie.” 

 

***********

 

Sicheng sat on his bed, the smile on his face not changing even for a moment.

 

_My little birdy is such a lovely person._

 

Because of Taeil, he was recalling the fondest memories of his mother. It was therapeutic-thinking about something so positive amidst the darkness. There was one memory in particular that he held close to his heart. He was still very young at the time, only being the tender age of eight. His mother had helped him make a tent in her room and they had eaten snacks and talked all night. 

 

_“My dear Sicheng,” His mother whispered, “I have something important to tell you.”_

 

_The raven haired boy who had been distracted by the bandage wraps on his legs looked up at his mother, “What is it?”_

 

_He always liked his mother’s fantastical advice, every word of her’s was held dear to him._

 

_She smiled, “When you find a Nightingale, you must cherish it. Its song is beautiful and must be protected.”_

 

_Sicheng didn’t fully understand what she meant but still nodded so he wouldn’t change the current mood they were in._

 

_“What a smart and thoughtful boy you are, I’m so proud of you.”_

 

He stopped himself from remembering more, refusing to ruin the happy memory with his inevitable bitterness. Sicheng finally understood what his mother meant and he wanted to celebrate it.

 

“Mother, I finally have my own Nightingale and I’ve never heard anyone sing as beautifully as he does.”

 

The young man looked at the folder that was on top of the drawer next to his bed. There was important information in that small file, the information he needed to be able to protect Taeil. It would be uncommon to live a life in Seoul and not run into trouble, whether you knew of it or not. Sicheng couldn’t tolerate such danger still existing at the same time Taeil did.

 

Taeil would be protected.

 

And Sicheng would be more than willing to abuse his power to ensure that.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Feedback is always welcome! Also, I'm sorry for any mistakes, I can't catch all of them most of the time while I review and edit. I really hope to get better by writing here. Anywayyyyy,
> 
> Have a nice day <3!


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